


Bad at Love | Oikawa Tooru/Seijoh Fanfic

by starlightbynight



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Angst, Aoba Johsai Volleyball Club - Freeform, Comedy, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Seijoh - Freeform, Volleyball, Volleyball club, aoba johsai
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-14
Updated: 2021-03-20
Packaged: 2021-03-22 06:08:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,111
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30034242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starlightbynight/pseuds/starlightbynight
Summary: You used to be the ace of the girls volleyball team at Aoba Johsai, but after a bad break up during your second year, you suddenly quit. All of your friends turned against you. And now, you don't know what you want to do in life.On a whim, you become the manager for the boys volleyball club and things turn out to be more difficult than you'd thought, especially when the captain starts making promises to take you out on a date. But you knew Oikawa and the games he played with people's feelings. How could you believe he actually wanted to be serious with you? Someone had already broken your heart, would it be wise to trust Oikawa to put it back together? Or would he leave you in shambles again?
Relationships: Oikawa Tooru & Reader, Oikawa Tooru/Reader
Comments: 2
Kudos: 11





	1. Practice Game with Karasuno

“ _Become the manager. It’ll be fun_ ,” you mumbled to yourself as you filled the last water bottle. It was your 3rd trip to the drinking fountain since practice had started. Usually the team’s water lasted longer, but today they were practicing harder, especially the new first years. Karasuno would be arriving for a practice game at any time now, and a few of the Seijoh players became jittery at the thought of facing one of their past teammates for the first time since middle school.

Kindaichi had gone through three bottles alone in the last set, and Makki and Mattsun had been splashing each other like idiots in the locker room. It’s not like you had a dozen other things to do. Of course you had time to get them more water every half hour.

After situating the bottle caddies, you attempted to carry both at the same time, which was equal to 24 full bottles. Usually you could handle it with no problem, but this time you stood too fast and lost your balance. The caddies fell and the bottles scattered everywhere, some busting open and spilling all over the floor.

You groaned as you fell on your ass.

“Looks like you could use some help,” Iwaizumi said from the doorway, causing you to sigh in relief. If it had been anyone else, they would’ve laughed at the sight of you on the ground. But not Iwa. He observed the mess and picked up a bottle. “I can help with this. Coach wants the jerseys ready.”

“Oh!” You quickly found your feet and hurried out the door, patting Iwa’s shoulder as you passed. “Thanks for reminding me.”

Squeaking shoes and volleyballs hitting the ground echoed across the gymnasium. You darted toward the stairs leading to the balcony. Already some students stood along the railing, waiting for the practice game to start—or waiting for a certain captain to make an appearance.

In one of the back rooms, you grabbed the jerseys out of a dryer and threw them into the basket you’d lugged up earlier. A lavender scent filled your nostrils, allowing you to relax. Earlier when you’d first found the jerseys, they’d smelled like they hadn’t been cleaned in a year—which they probably hadn’t. The volleyball club didn’t have a manager before you and this was the first practice game of the season. Some idiot must’ve thrown them into the closet at the end of the previous year, adding something else to the pile of things you needed to do.

With the basket in hand, you kicked the door open and yelped when someone appeared from around the corner. “Kunimi! Don’t scare me like that!”

Your brother blinked at you. “I was just standing here. You’re the one who yelled.”

“Shouldn’t you be stretching or warming up with the team? Karasuno will be here any minute now.”

“I wanted to ask you,” he followed you down the stairs to the gym floor, “if you knew of any way I could get out of this game. I don’t think I can do it.”

You stopped, turning to look at him. Although he stood in his training clothes—a light blue school t-shirt and white shorts—he had a weird look on his face. You never knew what to expect from him when it came to volleyball. Some days he got excited about playing and others he dreaded stepping foot on the court. Did he love or hate volleyball? You didn’t think even he knew the answer. But he had undeniable talent, and that’d been enough to earn him a spot in the starting line up for the Aoba Johsai team.

“I’m not getting you out of practice today.”

His shoulders slumped forward as if he could sink into nothingness and disappear. “Why? You’ve helped me before.”

“That was one time. And today is different,” you said, balancing the basket on your hip. “I know you don’t want to face Kageyama again, but it was going to happen eventually. Stop moping about middle school. You’ve become a better player and I’m confident you can show him up during the game. Have some faith in yourself.”

He sighed. “Y/n. Don’t you know me at all? I have no faith in myself. Never have.”

“Well, today is a good time to start.”

“That doesn’t help—"

“Look,” you grabbed his arm, “if I could play for you, I would. But sadly, we aren’t identical and you are much taller than me. You’ve got this, okay?”

“Yeah, sure.” He rolled his eyes and walked away.

“They’re here,” Coach called from the other side of the gym. You shoved the basket into the nearest player’s arms, which happened to be Kindaichi in his tracksuit.

You eyed him skeptically. “Why did you change back into that?”

“Doesn’t the team wear these before a game?” he said, eyes straying aside.

“Did Coach give you permission to leave the gym?”

“No...but I was with Yahaba!” he exclaimed, then held out the basket. “What do I do with these?”

“Hand them out,” you said, turning to grab your clipboard off a metal bench. It was your responsibility to welcome Karasuno into the gym and they’d be walking in at any minute. Kindaichi lingered next to you like a helpless puppy. You clutched the clipboard to your chest and glared at him. “Now.”

And he scurried off.

You shook your head while crossing the gym, correcting a few Seijoh players along the way. You knew the team had a good line up for the year, but the first years might not play their best in this game due to their personal connections to Karasuno’s setter. They needed to learn to put aside their personal feelings and any distractions. Perhaps their upperclassmen could teach them a thing or two.

The double doors opened just as you reached them, and the Karasuno players shuffled inside. Each of their eyes widened slightly, taking in the large gym and many players. You were taken aback by how little their team really was. You noticed the absence of Nishinoya—someone you’d gotten along with in the past—but before you could wonder too much about it, you caught sight of Kageyama.

He’d grown since you'd last seen him and his facial features had sharpened. Although he kept his head up, he wouldn’t meet your eyes or look at anything in particular. He rubbed his fingers together down at his sides—a nervous tick he must’ve acquired.

Pushing back your annoyance, you smiled at the group. “Welcome to Aoba Johsai! We want to thank you for agreeing to play a practice game with us today. I’m Y/n, third year student and the team’s manager.”

They all bowed together. “Thank you for inviting us!”

Kageyama finally dared a glance in your direction for a split second, then turned to whisper something to a guy with dark hair beside him. Your lips tightened, holding onto your rage at his arrogance, silently swearing that you wouldn’t forgive him for the way he made Kunimi doubt himself and his volleyball skills.

A small man with glasses stepped forward. “I’m Takeda, the club’s advisor. We don’t have an official coach yet, so our captain, Daichi, will mostly be in charge.” He gestured at a brown-haired guy standing nearby. “I’m still learning. I even have a book to help me.”

You glanced at the book in his hands titled: _Volleyball for Dummies_. “Well feel free to ask if you have any questions.”

“Didn’t you play on the girls team last year?” the captain asked.

“Yeah, I’ve been playing since I could walk. But I decided to take a different path and help the boys team as their manager this year.”

“That’s too bad,” he said, his voice deep and smooth. “You had some of the nastiest spikes I’d ever seen.”

“I’m sure the girls on your volleyball team are relieved I’m gone.” You couldn’t help but notice a kid toward the back of their group with bright orange hair. His face was turning green and he looked ready to cry. “Is he going to be okay?”

“He’ll be fine,” Daichi assured. “He already threw up on the way here.”

“In my lap!” a guy with a buzz cut said.

You motioned them toward the left side of the court where they could settle themselves and warm up before the game. Before walking away, you added, “We’ll get a bucket for the sick kid, just in case.”

While Karasuno stretched, Seijoh took the court first for hitting drills. They formed a long line and ran forward to spike the ball each time the coach blew his whistle. A few of them also spaced themselves on the other side of the net to work on their receives. Makki and Mattsun kept daring each other to hit the ball a certain way in order to mess with the lowerclassmen, putting a dramatic spin on their spikes. Whoever succeeded the most would owe the other one a chocolate milk.

You rolled your eyes.

Takeda approached you again. “Here’s our current line up.” You took a paper from him and handed yours over. His eyes rounded. “You guys sure have a lot of players.”

“Not really. We tried to cut more this year. There’s no reason to have too many players as it just takes practice time from our starters.”

He rubbed the back of his neck. “I suppose.”

As soon as you looked up from Karasuno’s incomplete line up, you saw one of the team’s balls going astray. It bounced loudly off the floor, headed straight for Takeda. He flinched back and you caught the ball before it could reach him. You bowed. “Sorry about that. Sometimes they really suck.”

You turned to see who’d gotten carried away. Makki and Mattsun laughed hysterically, not surprising you at all.

“You two better shape up! Especially you, Makki!” His mouth dropped, shocked at your accusation. You propped the ball on your hip. “Yeah, I could tell it was you. And if it happens again, you can forget about the special dairy free milk I buy you before school. I don’t care if you get stuck on the toilet for hours.”

"That's not fair!"

Mattsun howled with laughter. “Does it count if I hit it out?”

The assistant coach blew his whistle and they both scurried back into line, getting a death glare from Iwa along the way. You turned back toward Takeda. “Again, I apologize for that.”

“It’s fine.” He straightened the glasses that’d been knocked askew when he’d ducked away from the ball. “I’m getting used to it. The practices at Karasuno can get a little out of hand.”

You spared a glance at the Karasuno team. A few of them were trying to imitate some type of animal to get the orange-haired kid to calm down. A short distance away, you spotted Kageyama filling one of his bottles at a watering fountain. “Understandable,” you said quietly, eyes transfixed.

“I should probably go see if they need anything,” Takeda said. “It was nice meeting you.”

“You too,” you said, not seeing but hearing him walk away. Right now, you could only focus on this one opportunity to get Kageyama alone. You shouldn’t say anything, it wasn’t your place. But emotions took hold of your body—a need to protect your brother—and next thing you knew, you’d grabbed the nearest bottle and crossed the gym to fill it at the fountain next to Kageyama.

He stiffened when he noticed your presence. You screwed the lid off the bottle, unbothered, and twisted the knob to get water to come out. Without looking at him, you spoke sternly, “Don’t say a word to Kunimi today. You’ve done enough, got it?”

“So that’s how it is now, huh? You guys hate me because of a few matches where my attitude got the best of me?”

“Don’t act like it’s that simple,” you shot back. Talking to him this way felt weird. You used to think fondly of Kageyama—the kid who just wanted to learn anything and everything he could about volleyball. You even helped him with his serves when you’d both been in middle school. But after you graduated and moved to high school, something changed. His arrogance spread through his body like a disease, convincing him he was better than everyone, that if they couldn’t keep up, then they had no right being on the same court as him.

Kageyama had forgotten something vital to volleyball: you need a team to win.

He exhaled next to you. “I understand why Kunimi and Kindaichi might be angry, but I don’t know what I did to you.”

“Are you really that dense?”

“I guess?”

“Kunimi is my brother. I’m not going to stand aside and let someone bully him, especially when he’s playing a game that makes him happy.”

“I wasn’t bullying,” he insisted. “And since when does volleyball make Kunimi happy? He’s never happy.”

This time, you met his blue stare straight on, sealing the lid back on the bottle in your hands. “See. That’s where you’re wrong. You don’t know what volleyball does for him, and I don’t know if I can forgive you for ruining it.”

Silence spread between the two of you. He looked away, as if searching for the right words to say. None of his emotions were displayed on his face, just concentration. “Look,” he said. “I’m not very good at...I don’t know, explaining my thoughts? But what I do know is that I’ve learned a lot these past few months. I’m not the same person I was, at least I don’t think so.”

“For your sake, I hope that’s true. But it doesn’t change the fact that we’re gonna kick your ass in this game and every game after.”

His expression became stoic, yet his eyes ignited at the challenge. “I won’t hold back.”

“I expect nothing less from the king,” you said, taking one more jab before walking away.

The referee blew a whistle, summoning the players to the court.

It was time for the practice game to begin.

-  
-  
-

Seijoh played really well in the first set of the game. Their blocks were solid, and everyone seemed focused. Kindaichi and Kunimi remained wary of Kageyama, always ready for him to explode in a fit of rage like he did in middle school. At one point, he started yelling at a small kid with orange hair and Kindaichi grinned. “That’s the king I know.”

But it felt different to you. The small kid, named Hinata according to their line up, had the worst nerves you’d ever seen. It was as if he’d never played in a game before. You had to admit that you didn’t blame Kageyama for becoming annoyed. Karasuno could barely score a point, and Hinata even knocked the referee off his stool.

Kunimi worked hard at the beginning, but slowed down as the game continued. You forced yourself to bite your tongue. The coach wanted you to take notes and observe the players this game. It wasn’t the right time to say anything yet.

Your team took the first set after Hinata hit Kageyama during a serve. You wanted to burst out laughing, but for the sake of good sportsmanship, you settled on a small chuckle.

Karasuno picked up momentum after that. Kageyama and Hinata tried out a wickedly fast attack, and although they failed, Kageyama said something that made your mouth drop.

“Sorry Hinata. We’ll get the next one.”

You could’ve sworn you saw Kunimi and Kindaichi’s souls leave their bodies. The three of you couldn’t believe what you’d just heard. The king, the tyrant, Kageyama...apologizing?

The next time Karasuno tried the quick attack they nailed it, and you couldn’t keep yourself from jumping to your feet and yelling at Kindaichi and your brother. “What are you doing? Move your feet!”

Yes, it was stupid fast. But they didn’t even try.

You could feel Coach look aside at you. You dropped back down onto the bench. “Sorry Coach. I just know they’re better than that.”

He smiled slightly. “I know. We have to give the first years time to learn. This game is especially difficult for some of them, but it’s better they go through it now than in a real game.”

You nodded.

“And that quick attack,” the coach continued, “is going to be a problem. The Karasuno player’s eyes aren’t even open when he’s hitting the ball. It appears Kageyama has grown more than we expected.”

A deep sigh rolled through you. “We can handle it. Our blockers will adjust.”

But Aoba Johsai lost the second set. You couldn’t believe it. If your team lost to Karasuno it’d be such an embarrassment.

The team gathered around Coach for a meeting. Karasuno celebrated their win on the other side of the net. You remained on the bench, trying to think of ways to help that didn’t involve you jumping out onto the court yourself. Ever since the game had started, you’d been itching to play again.

Just as the third set was about to begin, squeals and cheers filled the gym. Iwaizumi and you exchanged a knowing glance because you already knew why everyone was freaking out.

Oikawa had finally arrived.


	2. Let's Make a Deal

“Don’t rush your stretches. Coach said you need to be _thorough_ ,” you said, emphasizing the last word to get it through Oikawa’s thick skull. You sat on the floor against the wall on the other side of the massive gym—three whole courts away from the game and the onlookers—while Oikawa stood a few feet in front of you, stretching his arm behind his head. As soon as he’d arrived, the coach had sent the two of you away to get him warmed up, and he insisted you watch to make sure Oikawa did things correctly.

“Y/n, aren’t you worried about me at all? Or is it only Coach?”

You cocked your head to the side. “I guess I’m as worried as I need to be. The team needs you.” You glanced down at the ongoing game. Makki paced the side of the court with his hands on the insides of his shorts—a clear sign of his frustration. You hardened your voice. “No more injuries this year. Got it?”

Oikawa scoffed. “It’s not like I purposefully hurt myself. But thank you for the concern.”

He pulled his other arm back and carefully stretched. His blue t-shirt peeled back a bit, exposing a sliver of his toned stomach. At the first peek of abs you averted your eyes, trying to ignore the feeling of your burning cheeks. Oikawa didn’t miss anything, and from the sound of his exhale, he was about to say something before you blurted, “Kageyama seems different now.”

Like a puff of smoke, his smile vanished, replaced by a scowl. “How so?”

You pulled your knees to your chest. “His sets have always been immaculate, but nobody could keep up because he didn’t think about anyone but himself. During this game, he’s seemed more aware that he’s playing on a team, that the other players exist too.”

“So little Tobio went to that shitty school to humble himself?” said Oikawa, arrogance leaking from his tone. He flashed a devilish grin, such a contrast from his earlier expression. “It’ll take more than that to make him a real opponent. That is _if_ he’s actually changed for the better. We’ll find out how his team really feels about him soon enough.”

But could people really change that much in a couple months? Although you doubted it, there was nothing you could do except wait and see if his team dumped him eventually. However, with his level of skill, you didn’t think a school like Karasuno could afford to lose him.

“This game’s probably been really boring without me,” Oikawa said. “Has anything exciting happened? Besides the unfortunate and unnerving fact that Karasuno is actually winning.”

You shook your head. “Not really. But the small kid from Karasuno made a disaster out of the first set. And I heard he threw up in one of his teammates’ lap.”

That got Oikawa to laugh—a smooth, velvety sound that felt like a caress behind your ear. It’d changed over the years, his laugh. When the two of you were younger, it used to be bright and infectious, making anyone around him smile. Now, you couldn’t tell if he’d changed because of age, or if he’d lost his sincerity somewhere in the fake front that he always showed the world.

Lost in thought, you rested your chin on your knees, only to be met with Oikawa’s face not far from yours. He’d sat directly in front of you—one leg stretched out so his foot touched the wall right beside you, and his other tucked in—to begin his lower body stretches. You blinked and leaned farther into the wall. “What are you doing?”

“Stretching,” he insisted, brown eyes narrowed. “Didn’t Coach say I needed to be thorough?”

“Yes, but did you have to do it right where I’m sitting?”

“Well, you’re supposed to be helping me, aren’t you?” At your silence, he shrugged and moved to get up. “Then again, if you aren’t going to help then I guess I’ll just—”

“Shut up,” you grumbled and pushed his shoulder, forcing him to lie down, your body hovering over his. Surprise flashed across his face, but that quickly shifted into intrigue. For once, he had to look up at you, and you hated how much you loved the sight of it.

He tilted his chin, letting his hair fall into his half lidded eyes, somehow still forcing himself to look down. It lit a fire inside of you. You wanted to lurch forward, graze your teeth against his jaw, maybe bite down on his bottom lip.

Instead, you leaned in toward his ear, your voice lowered. “I think you can manage on your own. Besides, Coach wants you to be careful, and I don’t think I’m the best person to ask if you want it to be gentle.”

His lips split into a grin that didn’t reach his darkening eyes. You tucked your hair behind your ear and answered with a mocking smile, then pulled yourself off of him while adding in a chippy tone, “Oh! And don’t forget to stretch your quads. It’ll help with your knee.”

He sat up on his elbows. “There’s the concern. I knew you were hiding it. Did you have trouble sleeping, not knowing if I’d be okay?”

“Sarcasm will get you nowhere,” you said, finding your feet and grabbing a volleyball nearby. “Now hurry, or you’ll miss the last set.” Down at the other end of the gym, you watched the ball go back and forth between your team and Karasuno. Seijoh earned a point, but you still got the vibe that you weren’t in the lead and it made you anxious not to be there.

Oikawa, surprisingly, listened and continued his stretching. “You really want us to win this, don’t you?”

“Of course.”

“It’s just a practice game, and it’s Karasuno.”

You folded your hands over the ball, balancing it against your stomach. “This game will set the tone for the year. I don’t want our team to get discouraged so quickly. This is _our_ year.”

“I couldn’t agree more.” He looked down at the game and then back at you; this time with an enticing smirk. “How about I make you a deal?”

“Oikawa, this isn’t a joke.”

“I’m serious,” he said, meeting your eyes. “If I go in and we win the game, then you have to let me take you out.”

“Out?” You couldn’t help but wonder. “What do you mean ‘out?’”

“On a date.”

This time you laughed because there was no way he was serious. He was messing with you, the same way he messed with lots of female students. You rolled your eyes. “Yeah, good joke.”

“Believe that if you want to, but if we win,” he found his feet and once again towered above you, his lips tugged upwards at the corners, “you and I will do unimaginable things.” He stepped close enough you could feel the heat radiating off his body. “Like I’ve said for years, it’s the way things were always meant to be.”

You refused to look at him. Because if you did, you might actually believe him, and your heart wasn’t ready for that.

Instead, you shoved the volleyball into his gut and pushed him away. “Come on. We have work to do.”


End file.
